WNPR’s Faith Middleton Named a 2012 Inductee Into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame

WNPR’s Faith Middleton Named a 2012 Inductee Into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame

Event to Take Place Thursday, October 18, 2012, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford

Faith Middleton, WNPR radio host of “The Faith Middleton Show,” has been chosen as one of the 2012 Inductees for the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. Along with her fellow recipients, internationally renowned photographer Annie Liebowitz and groundbreaking foreign conflict correspondent Anne Garrels, Middleton’s achievements will be honored at The 19th Annual Induction Ceremony on Thursday, October 18, 2012, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

“After thirty years as a thought-provoking, awe-inspiring radio personality, Faith is the perfect candidate to receive such an outstanding accolade,” said Jerry Franklin, president and CEO of Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN). “Without a doubt, Faith has earned this honor, and we are proud to have such an inspirational leader as a member of the CPBN family.”

For this year's Induction Ceremony, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame selected nominees that represent the 2012 theme, Women’s Perspectives: Celebrating Voice and Vision. Middleton has twice received the nation’s highest honor in broadcasting – The George Foster Peabody, awarded to journalists and entertainers by the University of Georgia. One Peabody was awarded for her documentary on the historic Schubert Theater, and a second was for her series of conversations with fascinating scientists across the United States and Canada. She is also a recipient of two honorary doctorates.

As host and executive producer of “The Faith Middleton Show,” airing six days per week on WNPR in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and worldwide on wnpr.org, Middleton supervises producers and volunteers, and she particularly focuses on exploring the richness of life.

Middleton has been named Best Talk Show Host by the editors and readers of Connecticut Magazine for eleven consecutive years, and she was inducted into the magazine’s Hall of Fame. She joined the ranks of Helen Keller, Richard Rodgers, Wally Lamb, and Henry Lee after receiving the esteemed Connecticut Bar Association Award, and she is also the recipient of The Mark Twain Award for distinguished journalism.

In her broadcast career, Middleton has interviewed 12,000 guests, from politicians to prisoners, to scientists, artists, academics, and the little known. Her guests have included influential figures like Arthur Miller, Barbara Walters, and Elie Wiesel. In addition to her work on WNPR, Middleton has been a regular contributor to NPR in Washington, including “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered,” “Weekend Edition,” and guest-hosted “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross. She was selected as NPR’s first Senior Journalist in Residence. Middleton’s television work includes two local, highly rated series on Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and a series carried by PBS stations nationwide, including WNET in New York.

Before becoming a radio and television journalist, Middleton had a 13-year award-winning career as a print reporter and editor. She was editor-in-chief of Connecticut Magazine, chief Sunday feature writer for The Providence Journal, and began her writing career at The Journal Inquirer. She continues to write, and her work has appeared in books and many other publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, The San Jose Mercury, The Hartford Courant, Ms. Magazine, and Working Woman magazine.

For her decade-long work on behalf of Connecticut Farmland Trust, Middleton received The Pathfinder Award at the Connecticut Legislature for her devotion to preserving Connecticut farmland and the state’s artisanal products. She has served as co-chair of The Celebration of Connecticut Farmland for ten consecutive years, co-chairing the events with Meryl Streep, Jacques Pepin, Paul Newman, Christine Baranski, and Sam Waterson.

The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame’s 19th Annual Induction Ceremony & Celebration will take place on October 18, 2012, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Harford. In addition to celebrating the Inductees, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame will recognize a group of 10 other women who have used their voice and vision, literally and figuratively, to inform and enlighten the world.